Tanya helps teens in Oklahoma County tackle tobacco
By Aaron Wright, Sun Editor
The Sunday Sun
September 8, 2008
The Oklahoma City-County Health Department nabbed this recent college graduate and put her to work empowering youth to make good decisions about tobacco.
Tanya Mendoza recently began serving as the youth tobacco coordinator in Community Resources Development for the county health department. She plans on being a common face for the people in EastOC as she recruits students and adult for the S.W.A.T. teams.
S.W.A.T teams play an important role in developing solid tobacco policies in communities, she explained. For instance, these teams often approach school boards or city councils about making campuses tobacco-free every day, all day.
“With S.W.A.T. involvement, we are able to do some of the things we couldn’t do as a coalition,” said Mendoza.
Currently, she is visiting middle schools and high schools in EastOC to gage principals’ interest in the program. After she gets a green light from administration, she’ll go to work finding students who want to be a part of the team.
“I want to see who’s passionate about making a change in tobacco policies in their school and community,” she said.
She explained that students involved are usually heavily active in promoting national days that deal with tobacco such as Red Ribbon Week in October, the Great American Smokeout on Nov.ember 20 and Kick Butts Day.
Mendoza noted that Tinker Air Force Base has had one of the most active groups in the county. She is also currently working with Choctaw to try to persuade the school system to move to a 24/7 tobacco-free school. Mendoza said once a school gets on board, the health department will provide the school with all the education materials and promotional materials they need .
Mendonza noted that while S.W.A.T teams are diverse in backgrounds, many of them have had negative experiences with tobacco.
Mendoza, a 2002 graduate of Choctaw High School, graduated with a bachelor’s in community health from the University of Central Oklahoma in July. She began the new position on Aug. 5. Previously, she had interned in the consumer protection department of the health department.
She said she has always hated tobacco smoke around children. Her goal in the position is not to necessarily persuade smokers to kick their habit, but more to watch where they are and who their habit is affecting, namely children.
She asked smokers to consider, ”Are you affecting who isn’t making that choice?” or “Is your habit impending somebody else’s freedom?”
Those wanting to get involved in the program can contact Mendoza at